Apparatus for recreation and amusement purposes.



G. BAKER & J. A. FLETCHER.

APPARATUS FOR RECREATION AND AMUSEMENT PURPOSES.

A PLICATION FILED MAR. 30, T916.

PatentedAug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET! Fig} Znwnmm- Cemye flaker, z,

G. BAKER & J. A. FLETCHER.

APPARATUS FOR RECREATION AND AMUSEMENT PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. I916.

1,236,939. Patented Aug. 7,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GEORGE BAKER, OF MANCHESTER, AND JAMES ASHTON FLETCHER, OF STALYBRI-DG'E, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR RECREATION AND AMUSEMENT PURPOSES.

Application filed March 30, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE BAKER and JAMES ASHTON FLETCHER, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residents of 9 South Parade, Manchester, England, and Waterloo Road, Stalybridge, in the county of Chester, England, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Recreation and Amusement Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for recreation and amusement purposes or for physical exercise, such as mechanical horses and the like in which a saddle or the like is rocked through a predetermined but adjustable distance, and comprises the combination with such apparatus of means, under the control of the person sitting upon or using the apparatus, whereby the amplitude of movement of the saddle or the like may be varied while the apparatus is in operation to suit the individual requirements or tastes of the user.

Our invention further comprises the combination with apparatus as aforesaid, of means actuated from the mechanism whereby the reciprocatory or like movement of varying amplitude is imparted to the apparatus, for traversing said apparatus or driving indicating devices at speeds or rates dependent from the speed and amplltude of movement of the apparatus.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory drawings Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation of an apparatus for producing a motion like that of a riding horse, showing the arrangement of parts in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

The same reference letters in the two views indicate the same parts.

The apparatus may comprise a saddle a connected by links 6 to a column 0. The said links are interconnected by toggle links (Z with further links on the column. Motion is imparted to the saddle by the connecting rod 6 actuated by the crank pin f on the rotating disk To control the amount of movement imparted to the saddle a for a uniform move- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. *7, 1917.

Serial No. 87,793.

ment of the rod 6, we provide bands or cords h, i which are pulled by the person sitting on the saddle so as to more or less straighten the links (Z. When the links are in line with one another, the saddle receives a maximum movement. But if the bands It and i are held so that the point of connection of the saddle a to its links 6 can move toward the point of connection of the rod 6 to its links 6 then the saddle will receive an amount of movement less than the maximum according to the amount of angular movement possible between the upper and lower links (Z. A spring j resists the pull on the bands It and z.

The apparatus with its driving motor is mounted upon a carriage or like part 7c which is propelled by mechanism actuated by the rod m from an upper link I). The said mechanism may comprise a pawl n and ratchet wheel 0, the pawl being carried by an arm 29 connected to said rod m so that it picks a number of teeth dependent upon the amplitude of movement of the upper link 5. As the user of the apparatus controls the amplitude of movement of the saddle and therefore of the upper link 7), one apparatus may, for competition purposes, be caused to race another. The ratchet wheel 0 is keyed on the shaft carrying the wheels 9 of the carriage it.

Having nowdescribed our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In mechanical apparatus for recreation and like purposes, in combination, a seat, a column, links connecting said seat and column, a carriage supporting said column, means imparting a reciprocatory up and down movement to said seat, means controlled from the seat for varying the amplitude of such reciprocatory movements, means in operative connection with said seat for traversing said carriage in accordance with the rate and amplitude of such reciprocatory movements, as set forth.

2. In mechanism apparatus for recreation and like purposes, in combination, a seat, a column, links connecting said seat and column, a rod reciprocated with a movement of uniform amplitude, links connecting said rod'and column, toggle links connecting the aforesaid links, means for controlling the free angular movement between the toggle names to this specification in the presence of links, a carriage supportlng sald column, two subscribing wltnesses.

pawl and ratchet mechanism for traversing GEORGE BAKER. said carriage and a rod in operative connec- JAMES ASHTON FLETCHER. tion With the links connecting seat and Vitnesses: column and actuating said pawl, as set forth. ARTHUR HUGHES, In testimony whereof We have signed our HILDA HUGHES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0; 

